Your704 Weekender: Here’s what’s happening in Charlotte Sept. 1-4
From Labor Day festivals and parades to college football and concerts, here’s what’s happening in Charlotte this weekend.
Please use the links provided to confirm hours and to check for last-minute weather updates before you go.
Kick off the weekend at the Matthews Alive Festival. This longtime Labor Day weekend tradition brings four days of live music, carnival rides, and family-friendly games and entertainment to downtown Matthews.
Have a bouncing good time at FunBox, an inflatable playground that will be set up outside of Concord Mills for the next 11 weeks.
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The new Amp Ballantyne will host its first show on Friday. There will be bands and food trucks, plus proceeds from the show will benefit Classroom Central.
Get your fill of Bavarian bites and authentic German beers at NoDa Brewing’s Oktoberfest happening Friday at the North End taproom. Festivities include a stein holding contest and pet costume showdown.
The first Friday of the month in South End means it’s time for a gallery crawl. Click here for a list of galleries and featured artists.
See local art, get in some retail therapy, and listen to live music at Rock Hill’s First Friday event at the Old Town Night Market. Several restaurants will have food and drink specials during the event.
See nearly 80 historic homes in downtown Concord glow during the Colorful Lights Walking Tour. The homes will light up every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in September.
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It’s a busy weekend for music fans. On Friday, Steep Canyon Rangers are performing at the Anne Springs Close Greenway’s Comporium Amphitheater, and Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top will rock PNC Music Pavilion. On Saturday, 3 Doors Down will be at the Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre at the AvidXchange Music Factory.
And if you’re ready for a quick road trip, the Earl Scruggs Music Festival is happening at the Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort in Mill Spring this weekend. Festival headliners include Emmylou Harris, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters, Del McCoury Band, and the Jerry Douglas Band.
Saturday is a big day for college football fans! ESPN’s College GameDay will take over Romare Bearden Park in Uptown ahead of the Duke’s Mayo Classic which will feature a matchup between the University of North Carolina and the University of South Carolina at Bank of America Stadium.
Bring your appetite to Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s Best Wurst Fest on Saturday and Sunday. There will be live music, games, and a variety of smoked and grilled sausages cooking in the Biergarten.
Step back in time and watch historic reenactments of the Battle of Charlotte at Rural Hill on Saturday and Sunday.
Check out the Whitewater Center’s Labor Day Celebration on Saturday and Sunday where there will be a trail race, yoga and live music.
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Run, walk, jog — whatever suits you — through the streets of Uptown on Sunday during the annual Around the Crown 10k.
Watch marching bands take center stage at the 2023 Charlotte HBCU Labor Day Classic: Battle of the Bands at American Legion Memorial Stadium on Sunday.
Shop local from more than 70 small businesses and enjoy food trucks and live music at the Front Porch Sunday popup market at Atherton Mill in South End.
On Monday, head Uptown for the annual Charlotte Labor Day Parade. The parade runs down North Tryon Street from 9th Street, through the Square, ending on 3rd Street.
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